Domestic appliance having a swiveled display screen

Abstract

A domestic appliance, for example a refrigerator, comprising a housing, a recess in the housing and a display screen which can be swiveled relative to the housing and is disposed flush in the recess of the housing. The display screen is linked on its back with a pair of first arms so as to be rotatable about a first axis of rotation. The first arms can be extended from an expanded configuration in the flush arrangement of the display screen to an angular configuration. In this angular configuration the at least one, first axis of rotation is displaced beyond the recess, thereby allowing swiveling the display screen about the first axis of rotation.

Description

The present invention relates to a domestic appliance comprising a housing, a recess in the housing and a display screen which can be swivelled relative to the housing. In a flush position the display screen is disposed in the recess of the housing.

A domestic appliance of this type is known from JP 2002-031469 A. This document discloses a refrigerator comprising a display screen 10 which is fixed in a recess 22 of a door 2. The display screen 10 is mounted by means of pins 22 in holes 22a so that it can tilt about a horizontal axis of rotation. Spring-loaded locating means 12, 16 are provided on the display screen 10 for locking the display screen 10 in various tilt positions, these locating means being guided in a groove 22b of the recess 22 and being capable of engaging in recesses 23 in various tilt positions of the display screen 10. The display screen 10 can be brought from a recessed position in the recess 22 into two further tilt positions in which the display screen 10 can be locked. A disadvantage with this design however is that the angle through which the display screen 10 can be swivelled out from its recessed position is very small. The display screen can therefore only be aligned towards to the user to a limited extent.

It is thus the object of the present invention to provide a domestic appliance of the type specified initially in which the display screen can be swivelled in a wide angular range.

The object is achieved with a domestic appliance according to the claims. The dependent claims relate to preferred embodiments.

Accordingly, a domestic appliance is provided comprising a housing, a recess in the housing and a display screen which can be swivelled relative to the housing and is disposed in a recess in the housing in a flush position. In this case, at least one axis of rotation on which the display screen is suspended can be moved between a position in which it holds the display screen in the flush position and an extended position in which it extends in front of the recess and the display screen can rotate about the axis of rotation. In the extended position, a high degree of freedom for swivelling movement of the display screen about the axis of rotation can easily be achieved.

As a result of a first embodiment, the domestic appliance comprises a first pair of arms to which the display screen is connected on its rear side so that it can rotate about the at least one first axis of rotation, wherein the first arms can be extended from a splayed configuration in the flush position of the display screen into a angular configuration which corresponds to the extended position of the at least one first axis of rotation.

The domestic appliance preferably comprises a pair of second arms, each of the two second arms being connected in an articulated fashion to respectively one of the first arms and a position of the domestic appliance adjacent to the recess. The first arms are thus fixed to the domestic appliance not directly but indirectly via the second arms.

In the domestic appliance according to the invention, the first arms and the second arms are preferably embodied as plates. This imparts a high stiffness to the construction. In addition, the plates can be connected to one another or to the display screen and the domestic appliance by means of simple hinges. The first arms preferably each have the same length and the second arms each have the same length.

Alternatively to fixing the first arms indirectly to the domestic appliance by means of the second arms described previously, it is also possible to mount the first arms such that they can each be displaced in their longitudinal direction on a shaft, the shaft being disposed rotatably on the domestic appliance at a position adjacent to the recess. This design in the same way as that by means of the second arms, allows the first arms to be transferred from the splayed configuration described into the angular configuration in order to move and tilt the display screen from the recess.

The display screen preferably has no freedom of swivelling movement in its flush position in the recess.

In the splayed configuration in which the display screen is located in its flush position in the recess, the first arms preferably enclose an angle of about 150° to about 180°. The advantage of this is that in the flush position of the display screen, the first arms thus only occupy a small depth so that the entire configuration can be configured as very flat.

In the domestic appliance according to the invention, the display screen is preferably connected to the two first arms by means of a single first axis of rotation, i.e. the two first arms meet one another on the first axis of rotation. In this case, the first axis of rotation is preferably arranged centrally with respect to the width of the display screen.

The axes of rotation about which the first arms and, if these are present, the second arms can rotate preferably run parallel to one another. Furthermore, these axes of rotation are preferably vertically arranged so that the display screen can be tilted about a vertical axis of rotation. This makes it possible to align the display screen to the left or right towards an observer who is not located directly in front of the display screen but to the side of said screen.

The domestic appliance according to the invention preferably has stops which are arranged so that they face one another on the first arms and come to abut against one another in the angular configuration of the first arms. A minimum adjustable angle between the first arms is determined by the stops. The stops preferably have sloping surfaces which abut against one another in the angular configuration.

The domestic appliance preferably has friction brakes which brake a rotating movement of the first arms and/or the display screen about the first axis of rotation, The friction brakes have the effect that the display screen stays in the position set by the user and is not displaced by itself. Each brake disk preferably comprises brake disks mounted on a pin of the first arms which clamp a flange of the display screen perpendicular to a first axis of rotation. The pin is preferably guided in a groove of the flange and can be located on one of the stops described previously.

A part of the housing of the domestic appliance according to the invention is preferably formed by a frame which is detachably fixed to the domestic appliance in which the recess for the display screen is located and on the rear side of which the second arms are affixed in an articulated fashion or the shafts are rotatably affixed. This simplifies the mounting of the display screen on the domestic appliance. The display screen can be initially mounted on the frame before this is fixed to the domestic appliance. The frame can easily be removed together with the display screen for maintenance and repair purposes. The frame is preferably affixed to a flap or a door of the domestic appliance which serves to close or open the domestic appliance.

The domestic appliance according to the invention preferably comprises a refrigeration device, for example, a refrigerator. The display screen can display information on the refrigeration device itself, such as its model designation or information on its operating parameters such as, for example, the temperature in an interior compartment of the refrigeration device. In addition, the display screen can also serve as a PC or television screen.

Further embodiments and advantages of the present invention are explained hereinafter with reference to a first embodiment of the present invention according to the appended FIGS. 1 to 9 and a second embodiment of the present invention according to FIGS. 10 and 11. In the figures:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a display screen 5 of a refrigeration device withdrawn from a recess 3 according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view from the same perspective as FIG. 1 wherein the display screen 5 is located in an almost flush position in the recess 3;

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the display screen 5 and a frame 2, wherein the display screen 5 is located in a flush position in the recess 3;

FIG. 4 is a view from the same perspective as FIG. 1 wherein the display screen 5 is located in a position swivelled to the right;

FIG. 5 is a view from the same perspective as FIG. 3 wherein the display screen 5 is located in the same swivelled-out position as in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view of the display screen 5 and the frame 2 in a flush position in the recess 3 according to FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is the same sectional view as FIG. 6 wherein the display screen 5 is located in a position where it has been moved out of the recess 3 or swivelled;

FIG. 8 is the same sectional view as FIG. 6 wherein the display screen 5 is located in a further position where it has been moved out of the recess 3 or swivelled;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view through the friction brake 40 according to A-A in FIG. 3;

FIG. 10 is a schematic rear view of a display screen 5 of a refrigeration device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein the display screen 5 is located in a flush position in a recess 3 of a frame 2;

FIG. 11 is a schematic sectional view of the display screen 5 from FIG. 10 which has been moved or swivelled out of the recess 3.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective part view of a front part 1 of a door of a domestic appliance which, for example, can be a refrigerator. The door in turn forms a part of a housing enclosing an interior compartment of the domestic appliance. In the view shown in FIG. 1 the interior compartment is located behind the front part 1 shown. The front part 1 comprises a flat frame 2 which has a central rectangular recess 3. The frame 2 is affixed to the door, for example, by means of a screw connection. Furthermore, the domestic appliance comprises a flat display screen 5 which is fixed to the frame 2 by means of a pair of first arms 6 and 6′ and a pair of second arms 10 and 10′. In the view shown the arm 10 is mostly covered by the frame 2. The first and second arms 6, 6′ and 10, 10′ are constructed as plates. In FIG. 1 the display screen 5 is located in a position where it is moved out of the recess 3 whereas FIG. 2 shows the display screen 5 in a position almost flush in the recess 3 from the same perspective as FIG. 1. Small gaps between outer edges 12 of the display screen 5 and edges 13 of the recess 3 can be identified in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 shows a rear perspective view of the frame 2. For mounting the frame 2 on the door front part 1, said frame is first placed with notches 15 on lateral strips 14 on corresponding holders not shown on the door front part 1. The frame 2 is then fixed by means of a screw not shown which is inserted through a recess 17 and through a hole 16 on the frame 2 and screwed into an internal thread not shown on the door front part 1. In FIG. 3 the display screen 5 is located in a completely recessed position in the recess 3 in which the front of the display screen 5 is flush with the frame 2. On its rear side the display screen 5 has a rear wall 18 on which a mounting plate 20 is mounted, this being partly covered by the first arms 6, 6′ however in the view shown. The mounting plate 20 comprises a main plate 21 parallel to the rear wall 18 of the display screen 5 which can be seen better from FIG. 5 as well as an upper flange 22 and a lower flange 23 which both project horizontally from the main plate 21. Returning to FIG. 3, the flanges 22 and 23 are constructed as strips. A handle 19 of the display screen 5 rests on the upper flange 22 and is fixed to said flange by suitable means, for example, locating means or screws. Furthermore, the mounting plate 20 comprises two feet 24 which extend downwards from the main plate 21.

As FIG. 3 further shows, the first arms 6 and 6′ are connected to one another in an articulated fashion at respectively one end 7, 7′ by means of a first hinge 27. The hinge 27 comprises a vertically aligned pin 28 which is held in holes of the flanges 22, 23. Thus, the first arms 6 and 6′ are not only connected to one another but also to the mounting plate 20 and therefore to the display screen 5 in an articulated fashion. The pin 28 defines a first vertically aligned axis of rotation 29 about which the first arms 6 and 6′ and the display screen 5 can be rotated. The pin 28 or the axis of rotation 29 are arranged centrally to the display screen 5 with regard to the width of the display screen 5. The other ends 8, 8′ of the first arms 6 and 6′ are connected in an articulated fashion by means of second hinges 30 and 30′ to respectively one end of the second arms 10 and 10′ rotatably via respectively second axes of rotation 31, 31′. The other ends of the second arms 10 and 10′ are fixed in an articulated fashion on strips 35, 35′ of the frame 2 by means of third hinges 32, 32′ so that they can each rotate about a third axis of rotation 33, 33′. The second axes of rotation 31, 31′ and the third axes of rotation 33, 33′ run parallel to the first axis of rotation 29, i.e. they are also vertically aligned in the same way as the first axis of rotation 29. The entire structure shown in FIG. 3 is constructed mirror-symmetrically with respect to a vertical plane which intersects the display screen 5 centrally. That is, in particular, the first arms 6 and 6′ have the same dimensions amongst one another and also the second arms 10 and 10′ have the same dimensions amongst one another. At the same time, the plates forming the first arms 6, 6′ have a substantially greater length in the horizontal direction than the plates forming the second arms 10, 10′.

As a result of the articulated connections of the display screen 5, the first arms 6 and 6′, and the second arms 10 and 10′ to the frame 2, which have been described, the display screen 5 can be withdrawn and swivelled from the flush position shown in FIG. 3, which is shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 in schematic diagrams of a horizontal plane of intersection. In FIG. 6, as is also shown in FIG. 3, the display screen 5 is located in the completely flush position in the recess 3 of the frame 2. In this flush position the second hinges 30, 30′ abut with their axes of rotation 31, 31′ respectively against obliquely positioned stop strips 34, 34′ located on the rear side of the frame 2. The display screen 5 thus cannot be displaced further into the frame 2 beyond the position shown in FIG. 6, i.e. no further upwards in the view shown. FIG. 3 shows the stop strip 34′ in the rear view of the frame 2. In the flush position shown in FIG. 6, the display screen 5 has no freedom of swivelling movement about the first axis of rotation 29. The first arms 6 and 6′ are located in a splayed configuration in which they occupy a maximum possible angle α_max of, for example, about 150° to 180° with respect to one another. The first and second arms 6, 6′, 10, 10′ each span an acute angle β at the second hinges 30, 30′. This angle β should be at least 5°, better at least 10° or even 15° since if the angle β is too small, the tensile force which must be exerted on the display screen to overcome the friction of the hinges 29, 30, 30′, 33, 33′ and move the axis 29 out from the recess 3 of the frame 2 becomes very large.

By pulling on the display screen 5 with a force F which acts centrally on the display screen 5 indicated in FIG. 6, the display screen 5 can be brought from the flush position in FIG. 6 into the moved-out position shown by continuous lines in FIG. 7 in which the display screen 5 is located in front of the recess 3 approximately parallel to the frame 2. In this case, the first arms 6 and 6′ are turned about the first axis of rotation 29 and thereby brought from the splayed configuration in FIG. 6 into an angular configuration. In this configuration in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 6 the first arms 6 and 6′ occupy an angle a of about 100° with respect to one another. At the same time, the first axis of rotation 29 is moved out over the recess 3. In this moved-out position it is now possible for the display screen 5 to be swivelled about the first axis of rotation 29 as shown by the dashed lines in FIG. 7 by the operator pulling on one of the outer edges 12 of the display screen, in this case the left outer edge 12. The display screen 5 can thus be aligned towards an observer located to the right of the recess 3.

As shown in FIG. 8, the display screen 5 can be moved via the position shown in FIG. 7 further over the frame 2 into an end position. In this end position the second arms 10, 10′ come to rest against the rear side of the frame 2. The second arms 10, 10′ thus cannot be swivelled any further about the third axes of rotation 33, 33′. In addition, stops 36, 36′ which come to rest with respectively sloping surfaces 37, 37′ against one another are located on the first arms 6, 6′. The stops 36, 36 thereby define a minimum possible angle a_min between the first arms 6, 6′ which is about 80° in the exemplary embodiment shown. The display screen 5 shown by the dashed lines can be aligned towards an observer located on the right of the recess 3 by swivelling about a first axis of rotation 29, which is shown by dashed lines. If, as shown in FIG. 8, the stops 36 and 36′ touch one another and the second arms 10 and 10′ abut against the rear side of the frame 2, the axis of rotation 29 is placed exactly centrally relative to the width of the recess 3 so that the display screen 5 cannot hit against the frame 2 during swivelling.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show perspective views of the display screen 5 swivelled into a further swivel position. FIG. 4 shows a lateral front view of the display screen 5 with the frame 2 and the front part 1 of the door of the domestic appliance. FIG. 5 shows the same position of the display screen 5 in a rear view of the frame 2 and the frame 5. In the swivel position of the display screen 5 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the sloping surfaces 37 and 37′ of the stops 36 and 36′ do not yet touch each other, i.e. the display screen 5 can be swivelled still further in the direction shown by the arrow until the surfaces 37 and 37′ touch and thus the angle α_min between the first arms 6 and 6′ is reached.

In order to hold the display screen 5 in the position set by the user, i.e. to prevent any self-movement of the display screen 5, friction brakes 40, 40′ are provided, as can be seen from FIG. 3 or FIG. 5, for example, which brake a rotary movement of the first arms 6 and 6′ and the display screen 5 about the first axis of rotation 29. FIG. 9 shows a section through the left friction brake 40′. However, the right friction brake 40 has the same structure. The friction brake 40′ comprises two brake disks 41 and 42 which are mounted on a pin part 43 of a screw 44 connected to the stop 36′. The pin part 43 is guided in a groove 46 of the lower flange 23 of the mounting plate 20 as shown in FIG. 3. A first brake disk 41 is arranged between the stop 36′ and the lower flange 23 of the mounting plate 20. A second brake disk 42 is located between the lower flange 23 and the head part 45 of the screw 44. A spring element 47 is arranged between the head part 45 of the screw 44 and the second brake disk 42. This has the effect that the lower flange 23 is clamped by the brake disks 41 and 42. Thus, a rotary movement of the first arm 6′ about the first axis of rotation 29 is braked by a friction force acting between the contact surfaces of the brake disks 41 and 42 and the lower flange 29. Likewise, the rotary movement of the first arm 6 and the display screen 5 about the first axis of rotation 29 is braked by the friction brake 40. The cohesive friction acting between the brake disks 41 and 42 and the lower flange 23 must first be overcome to adjust the position of the display screen 5. This prevents the display screen 5 from moving by itself from the position set by the user. In addition, the first hinge 29, the second hinges 30, 30′ and the third hinges 32, 32′ possess a defined friction which also has the effect that the display screen 5 in each case stays in the position in which the user releases it. The friction torque which counteracts any swivelling of the display screen 5 can be set by adjusting the screw 44 so that a user can pull on a lateral edge of the display screen 5 to swivel it about the axis 29 but the arms 6, 6′, 10, 10′ remain at rest as long as the limit of the swivelling freedom of movement of the display screen 5 is not reached.

FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 shows a rear view of a frame 2 with a display screen 5 which is located in a flush position in a recess 3 of the frame 2. FIG. 11 shows the display screen 5 and the frame 2 in a horizontal sectional view. In this case, the display screen 5 is shown in a position displaced from the recess 3 by a translational movement and in a swivelled position shown by dashed lines. In agreement with the embodiment described in FIGS. 1 to 9, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 the first arms 6, 6′ are connected to the display screen 5 by means of a first hinge 27 so that they can rotate about a first common axis of rotation 29. However, the first arms 6, 6′ are not embodied as plates but as rods 6, 6′ preferably having an out-of-round profile. The rods 6, 6′ are each guided in through holes 50, 50′ of shafts 51, 51′ so that they ca be displaced in their longitudinal direction. The shafts 51, 51′ themselves are rotatably mounted on holders 52, 52′ affixed to the rear side of the frame 2. The shafts 51, 51′ can rotate about vertical axes of rotation 53, 53′.

As shown by the dashed lines in FIG. 11, the display screen 5 can be moved from its flush position in the recess 3 over the recess 3 by pulling. In this case, the first arms 6, 6′ are displaced inside the through holes 50, 50′ and the shafts 51, 51′ are turned about their axes of rotation 53, 53′. The first axis of rotation 29 is moved over the recess 3 so that it is now possible to swivel the display screen 5 about the first axis of rotation 29 and, as shown by the dashed lines in FIG. 11, to pull it out until the minimum angle a_min between the first arms 6 and 6′ and thus one of the possible end positions of the display screen 5 is reached. Suitable stops, not shown, define the possible end positions of the display screen 5. Friction brakes not shown prevent the display screen 5 from becoming released by itself from the position set by the user. In this case, the friction brakes can be configured in the same way as those in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 9, adaptations being required to the different structure. Alternatively, a defined friction can also be provided between the through holes 50, 50′ of the shafts 51, 51′ and the first arms 6, 6′ guided therein.

Claims

1-20. (canceled)

21. A domestic appliance comprising a housing, a recess in the housing and a display screen which can be swiveled relative to the housing and is disposed in a recess in the housing in a flush position, wherein at least one axis of rotation on which the display screen is suspended can be moved between a position in which it holds the display screen in the flush position and an extended position it which it extends in front of the recess and the display screen can rotate about the axis of rotation.

22. The domestic appliance according to claim 21, wherein the domestic appliance comprises a first pair of arms to which the display screen is connected on its rear side so that it can rotate about the at least one first axis of rotation, wherein the first arms can be extended from a splayed configuration in the flush position of the display screen into an angular configuration in which the at least one first axis of rotation is located in the extended position.

23. The domestic appliance according to claim 22, further comprising a pair of second arms, wherein each of the two second arms is connected in an articulated fashion to respectively one of the first arms and a position of the domestic appliance adjacent to the recess.

24. The domestic appliance according to claim 22, wherein the first arms and the second arms are embodied as plates.

25. The domestic appliance according to claim 22, wherein the first arms each have substantially the same length and the second arms each have substantially the same length.

26. The domestic appliance according to claim 22, wherein the first arms are mounted such that they can each be displaced in their longitudinal direction on a shaft, which is disposed rotatably on the domestic appliance at a position adjacent to the recess.

27. The domestic appliance according to claim 22, wherein in the splayed configuration, the first arms enclose an angle of about 150° to about 180°.

28. The domestic appliance according to claim 22, wherein the display screen is connected jointly to the two first arms by means of a first axis of rotation.

29. The domestic appliance according to claim 28, wherein the first axis of rotation is centrally arranged with respect to the width of the display screen.

30. The domestic appliance according to claim 21, wherein the display screen has no freedom of swiveling movement in its flush position in the recess.

31. The domestic appliance according to claim 21, wherein the first and second arms can rotate about axes of rotation, which run parallel to one another.

32. The domestic appliance according to claim 31, wherein the axes of rotation extend vertically.

33. The domestic appliance according to claim 21, further comprising stops which are arranged so that they face one another on the first arms and come to abut against one another in the angular configuration of the first arms.

34. The domestic appliance according to claim 33, wherein the stops each have sloping surfaces which abut against one another in the angular configuration of the first arms.

35. The domestic appliance according to claim 22, wherein a rotating movement of at least one of the first arms and the display screen about the first axis of rotation is braked by at least one friction brake.

36. The domestic appliance according to claim 35, wherein the at least one friction brake comprises brake disks mounted on a pin of the first arms which clamp a flange of the display screen perpendicular to a first axis of rotation.

37. The domestic appliance according to claim 36, wherein the pin is guided in a groove of the flange.

38. The domestic appliance according to claim 21, wherein a part of the housing of the domestic appliance is formed by a frame which is detachably fixed to the domestic appliance in which the recess for the display screen is located and on the rear side of which at least one of the second arms being affixed in an articulated fashion and the shafts being rotatably affixed.

39. The domestic appliance according to claim 38, wherein the frame is affixed to a door of the domestic appliance which serves to close or open the domestic appliance.

40. The domestic appliance according to claim 21, wherein the domestic appliance includes a refrigerator.